Lock for switch-operating mechanisms.



G. G. JOHNSON. LOOK FOR SWITGH'OPERATING MECHANISMS. APPLICATION rmzn' no. 12, 1908. 1121mm) MAR. 19, 1910.

9'? 2,8 67o Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

THE NORRIS PETER: co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

" mechanism is located.

CYRUS G. JOHNSON,

OF TAYLORVILLE, ILLINOIS.

LOCK FOR SWITGH-OPERATIN G MECHANISMS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taylorville, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Lock for Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch-operating mechanism of that type utilizing a single slot and setting lever such as disclosed in my co-pending application, of even date herewith, for improvements in railway switches, Serial No. 467,254.

The object of the invention is to provide means for positively locking the switchshifting mechanism so as to hold it against movement in any direction, the locking operation being automatic and controlled by the switch-operating mechanism.

With these and other objects in "iew the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts here inafter more fully'described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section, of switch-operating mechanism embodying the present improve1nents, said mechanism being of the type hereinbefore mentioned. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line A-B Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lock. Fig. 5 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the disk and sprocket of the-locking mechanism. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the sprocket.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the shiftable switchtongue connected, by means of a pitman with a disk 3, there being a wrist-pin at upon the disk and on Which the pitman is mounted. A sprocket 5 is mounted to rotate upon the stem 6 of the disk, said sprocket being provided at diametrically opposed points with angular recesses 7 designed to be successively engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 8 movably mounted within the bottom face of the disk 3. The sprocket 5 is designed to be actuated by a chain 9 connected at one end to a spring 10 fastened to the housing 11 in which the The other end of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

255. Renewed March 19, 1910. Serial No. 550,513.

chain is attached in any suitable manner, as by means of a rod or cable 11 with a lever 12 fulcrumed at one end within a housing 3 located below the surface of the track and between the rails thereof. One end of this lever projects into an elongated trough-like guide casting 14: located between the rails and designed to receive the actuatingarm 15 carried by a car 16. A spring 17 is secured to the lever 12 and also to an extension 18 project-ing from the housing 13, and is designed to hold the lever 12 and the parts connected thereto normally in a predetermined position, this spring being of sufficientstrength to hold the spring 10 normally extended. A drum 19 is located within the housing 11 and is connected by a chain or other flexible device 20 with the chain 9, said drum being designed to be rotated manually for the purpose of pulling on the lever 12 and relieving the spring 10 of the pull exerted normally by the spring 17.

The mechanism heretofore described is substantially similar to that disclosed in my co-pending application hereinbefore mentioned, it being designed to shift the switchtongue 1 by lowering the arm 15 of a moving car so that the arm will pass downward into the casting 1 1, engage the projecting end of lever 12, and shift said lever so as to relieve the spring 10 of the pull exerted normally by spring 17, thus permitting the spring 10 to pull the chain 9 and partly rotate the sprocket 5. As soon as the arm 15 releases lever 12 the spring 17 returns it to normal position and pulls the chain 9 backward so as to return the sprocket to its initial position, this return movement being such as to produce a one-half revolution of the disk 3 in one direction by reason of the pawl 8 and the recesses 7 which are provided in the meeting faces of the disk 3 and the sprocket 5.

The present invention consists of an improved means for locking the disk 3 while the sprocket 5 is being actuated by spring 10. The lock utilizedconsists of the lever 21 fulcrumed upon a bracket 22 arranged within the housing 11, said lever being provided with an arm 23, designed to be seated in either of two diametrically opposed notches 24 formed in the periphery of the disk 3. A spring 25 connects the lever 21 with an angular frame 26 secured in the housing so as to cause the arm 23 to automatically move into either of the recesses 2a as soon as the same is brought into register with the arm. The free end of lever 21 ex tends over and close to the chain 9, and secured on one of the links of this chain is an actuating block 27 with a beveled working face, one end of the block being preferably slightly recessed as shown at 28.

It is of course to be understood that the spring 25 holds the arm 23 normally seated within one of the notches 24:, so as to hold the disk 3 against rotation in either direction. WVhen a car approaches the switch and the lever 12 is actuated by means of arm 15 so as to elongate the spring 17, the spring 10, which is held normally under stress by the spring 17, pulls the chain 9 in the direction of its length, and thus causes the sprocket 5 to rotate one hundred and eighty degrees, or until the pawl 8 is passed a short distance by one of the notches 7. The block 27 is also caused to move under the free end of lever 21. As soon as the lever 12 is released from engagement with the hook 15 by the movement of the car past the casting 14, the spring 17 returns said lever 12 to its initial position and pulls on chain 9 so as to elongate the spring 10. The sprocket 5 will thus move back to its normal position and immediately prior to the engagement of the pawl with the adjoining notch 7 in the sprocket the recessed end 28 of block 27 rides against the free end of lever 21 and pushes it laterally so as to withdraw arm 23 from notch 24. The return movement of the sprocket 5 will thus be sutficient to produce a corresponding movement of the disk 3, this movement of the disk continuing until the other notch 24: is brought into position to receive the arm 23. The lever 21 is of course released by the block 27 shortly after the disk 3 has begun to rotate, and, therefore, when the other notch 24; assumes a predetermined position, the spring 25 will pull the arm 24 into the notch and thus lock the disk against further movement.

It will be seen that this locking device absolutely prevents the disk from rotating in either direction except while the switchshifting spring 17 is in action. This is particularly desirable in view of the fact that the disk 3 constitutes means for actuating the switch-tongue through the pitman 2 which is mounted on the disk.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In a railway switch the combination with superposed revoluble members, one of said members having diametrically opposed peripheral notches, a flexible actuating device engaging the other member, and a pawl and ratchet connection between said members for imparting an intermittent revoluble movement to the notched member from the other member; of a spring-controlled looking lever, means thereon disposed to be seat- 7 ed in either of the notches to hold the notched member against movement, and means upon the flexible actuating means for shifting the lever to disengage the notched member immediately prior to the actuation 7,

of said member.

2. In apparatus of the class described the combination with a switch-tongue; of superposed revoluble members adjacent thereto, one of said members being notched, a con- 8 nection between the notched member and the tongue, flexible means for actuating the other member, a pawl and ratchet connection between the members, a spring-controlled locking lever, means thereon and normally 8 seated in one of the notches for holding said notched member against rotation, and means upon the flexible actuating device for shifting the lever to release the notched member. immediately prior to the actuation of said member by the pawl and ratchet mechanism.

3. Switch-operating mechanism comprising a shiftable switch member, superposed revoluble members adjacent thereto, one of said members being provided with diametrically opposed notches in the periphery thereof, means actuated by said member for moving the shiftable switch member, flexible means for actuating the other member, actuating devices for said flexible device, pawl and ratchet connections between the revoluble members for imparting an intermittent rotation to the notched member from the other revoluble members, a locking lever, an arm extending therefrom, a spring for holding the arm normally in engagement with the notched member, and means upon the flexible actuating device for shifting the lever to disengage the notched member immediately prior to the actuation thereof by the 1 pawl and ratchet mechanism.

4. In switch-operating mechanism superposed revoluble members, a flexible actuating device engaging one of the members, pawl and ratchet mechanism for intermit- 1 tently rotating the other member from the first mentioned member, spring-controlled means for locking the intermittently rotated member between the movements thereof, and means actuated by said flexible actuating 1 means for unlocking said members during the movement of said actuating means in one direction.

5. In apparatus of the class described superposed revoluble members, pawl and 1 ratchet mechanism for imparting an intermittent rotation to one of the members from the other member, flexible means for actuating one of said members, spring-controlled means for locking the other member against 139 972,867 &

movement in one direction, and means upon my own, I have hereto affixed my signature sold spring-controlled means for shlftlng the 1n the presence of tWo Witnesses. locklng device durlng the movement of sand means in one direction to permit simulta- CYRUS JOHNSON 5 neous movement of the superposed revoluble Witnesses:

members. J. H. MORGAN,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as T. H. WEITZEL. 

